Dear Friends,We gather in humility, after our sermon from James a few minutes ago, to thank the Living God as we consider and receive an incredible legacy of St. Paul’s Bloor Street. I am convinced that one of the reasons we are who we are, is the constant focus and re-focusing on our identity—who God is calling us to be—even after 175 years.As I have mentioned in the Annual Report, one of the realities of getting older is the change in our eyesight. Very few of us will escape diminished sight as we age, even to the point wher…

About twenty years ago I attended St. Paul’s for our annual Sunday service of Remembrance. I was struck by the memory of countless lives lost in both World Wars, and how that left an indelible and physical mark on the church. Stained glass, plaques, a chapel dedicated to those who fought and died, statues, and a monument are just part of the many ways our community strained to process their grief, and to honour those who had suffered at great cost on our behalf. All of these features highlighted the occasion, but none more for me than an…

We live in disorienting times. Political tensions and rhetoric strain the limits of western democracy. Natural disasters as well as unprecedented and unpredictable human-made disasters create fear and uncertainty. In the mist of this, social media overhauls the way we communicate. The accelerating rate of change in culture continues and it seems anxiety is on the rise.
It can be very difficult to know how to process and address the swirling realities around us. Adaptive challenges are ones where the old methods of facing a new challenge have s…

Research on the link between gratitude and health has been growing in recent years. In publications like Harvard Medical School (“In Praise of Gratitude”) and Psychology Today (“7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude”)—the healthful benefits of giving thanks and living a life of gratitude are real. Secular science is seeing thanksgiving as a critical health indicator.

Christians have known and understood this fundamental faith issue long before research began. The Bible is full of examples and exhortations that followers o…

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon will be taking place on Sunday, October 22nd. St. Paul’s is just outside of the marathon area but you may need extra time to get here.The marathon will start on Lakeshore Blvd., west of Ontario Dr. at 8:45 a.m.Click here for an interactive map of the route, or view the map below.

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." (Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz, 1939)The Christian Church is shifting and changing throughout the world. One of the momentous changes we are experiencing is the shift out of Christendom. Since the fourth century, Christendom is simply Christianity as the established religion. It is used as synonymous with the Western world, the ‘official’ religion if you will. This had practical application. Christianity was the singular, dominant religion, meaning “everyone&rdq…

I recently had the opportunity to attend ‘KidMin 2017’, a large Children’s Ministry conference in the US. I have to admit it was pretty amazing to be with almost 2000 people who were passionate about supporting children and their families in growing in their Christian faith.

Canadians are often proud of the cultural differences between ourselves and our American neighbours. But at the conference, I sometimes felt like that awkward cousin who isn’t cool, and just doesn’t have things figured out. There was a passion and clarity about…

Have you ever been in a place where the conversation that surrounds is incomprehensible to you? A situation where you can catch a phrase here or there, but can’t seem to make the sounds yourself? Learning another language is a difficult task, and understanding often comes before speaking.At St Paul’s we recognize this challenge and our capacity as a community to do something about it. While there are many excellent schools and classes available in Toronto to learn English, there are fewer places to practice speaking it. For ten year…

St. Paul’s Bloor Street (SPBS) has a long history of seeing needs and striving to meet those ministry needs. When the Diocese of Toronto recently asked us to collaborate with them in rebuilding a strategic congregation located reasonably close to SPBS, we saw this as an opportunity to re-energize another historic, faithful church in the heart of the City.St. George the Martyr (SGTM) located at 197 John Street, is nestled on the south end of Grange Park between the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCA…

Nancy Partridge died peacefully at home early in the morning on Saturday September 23rd. Her funeral service will take place Friday September 29th at 1 p.m. in the sanctuary at St. Paul's Bloor Street.

Due to Open Streets TO parts of Bloor Street and Yonge Street will be closed to vehicle traffic on Sunday, September from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. St. Paul's is within the affected area. This is an opportunity to welcome those attending Open Streets TO into our community at St. Paul's. We encourage you to attend and welcome someone new. Bloor Street will be closed from Christie Street to Sherbourne Street. Yonge Street will be closed from Bloor Street to Queen Street. These streets will be "soft closed", meaning vehicles…

We find in Jesus beauty. We find in Jesus goodness. We find in Jesus truth. Do we find the same in our own lives? As a gathered community following Jesus we seek to be transformed by Jesus, into the likeness of Jesus. Yet, translating what we see in Jesus into action and word sometimes goes awry.

Having spent the summer looking at the life of Jesus as depicted in our stained-glass windows, we turn our attention this fall to the practicalities of living out our faith in Jesus, in ordinary and everyday circumstances.

There are a variety of Toronto clinics dedicated to reducing falls. Falls are a major cause of pain, injury, loss of mobility and even shortened lifespan. This fall St. Paul’s will offer a neurologic music therapy program called Music for Health.

Neurologic Music Therapy is a researched-based system of music interventions. It uses scientific knowledge about music and the brain to help improve cognitive, physical and language abilities. Numerous research studies have shown these interventions improve walking and movement patterns in neurolo…

One of our goals at St. Paul’s is to offer a welcoming experience to all who come through our doors. We are blessed with a bright and beautiful space and, even more so, with a warm and friendly congregation. Time after time, newcomers relate how pleasantly surprised they’ve been at the vibrancy and accessibility of our community and worship.

For many, however, it can be a challenge just to enter through those doors. It’s true, our huge, stone building can seem imposing. No less an obstacle can be widespread perceptions of Christianity…

We are in the dog days of summer. Many members of the St. Paul’s community are having a chance to take some vacation time. Some are travelling and younger members are at summer camps of various kinds.

Through these summer months, St. Paul’s is not on vacation. We are welcoming visitors from around the world, as well as new folks who are in search of a spiritual home. The summer sermon series, based on the biblical stories embedded in our beautiful stained-glass windows, has resonated deeply with many. It is a full summer for all of us an…

Carole King’s album Tapestry came out just before I got to High School. One of the best-selling records of all time, it was one of my very first albums. I listened to it over and over. I can still sing the words to every song. It’s funny how the things that get into your head when you are young seem to stay there forever.

You’ve Got A Friend, was one of the many hit songs on that album. Its lyrics speak of a friend who is present and ready to help in the most difficult times, and faithful through all seasons. Don’t we all long for th…

Walking into St. Paul’s for the first time visitors look up and voices hush. A sense of awe pauses people as they take in the beauty and spaciousness. The light filters in through stained glass, flickering abstract coloured patterns on the floors. With a closer look, images reveal themselves in those windows. Figures emerge. Perhaps you have been here fifty times, or five hundred times, and seen the stained glass wondering what stories they tell and who the people are. This summer you can find out. From now until Labour Day we will be preachi…